Comprised of four native New Yorkers - Brandon Cruz on guitar and keyboards, his brother Chris Cruz on bass and vocals, drummer Danny Moncada, and guitarist Etienne Vazquez - So Hideous released its debut EP in 2011 and was praised by Decibel Magazine as "walls of shoegazy sound, throat-scraping vocals, an active rhythm section, and an uplifting orchestral bent". Since the start, the majority of the band's music has been composed on piano by Brandon Cruz, inspired largely by "film scores and 20th century minimalist composers like Arvo Part and Philip Glass", then fleshed out into songs by the ...read more

Comprised of four native New Yorkers - Brandon Cruz on guitar and keyboards, his brother Chris Cruz on bass and vocals, drummer Danny Moncada, and guitarist Etienne Vazquez - So Hideous released its debut EP in 2011 and was praised by Decibel Magazine as "walls of shoegazy sound, throat-scraping vocals, an active rhythm section, and an uplifting orchestral bent". Since the start, the majority of the band's music has been composed on piano by Brandon Cruz, inspired largely by "film scores and 20th century minimalist composers like Arvo Part and Philip Glass", then fleshed out into songs by the full band. Chris Cruz, Moncada, and Vazquez share years of history playing in bands together, including one death metal act that caught the ear of Tony Award-winning choreographer Bill T. Jones and toured with world repeatedly as the live soundtrack for Jones' acclaimed modern dance company.

In the context of today's scene, So Hideous fit loosely with other bands exploring the nexus between contrasting extremes - "post-everything" bands like Vattnet Viskar and Deafheaven. But be assured, So Hideous possesses its own unique soul and singular voice, and Last Poem/First Light is its extraordinary statement of intent.

Look for So Hideous playing live throughout the fall and winter. On certain select dates, So Hideous will be joined onstage by The First Light Orchestra.
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